Player Profile: Mikel Leshoure

Sure, he’s not projected to be a high pick– that’s what we want. Being at the 13th pick kind of makes projecting draft picks tough when you look at them. According to several sources, Leshoure is projected to go anywhere between the 2nd and 4th round.

Then this came today.

Thank the lord. Kevin Smith has been useless, let’s be honest. Maurice Morris did his best to assure team management that he’s a great player, and we now have Jahvid Best. Why do I want another running back? Best has proven this season that he’s not an every down kind of player, and Morris is just not a starter in my eyes, but a damn good insurance policy. If we want to keep Best healthy, he’s got to be a secret weapon/situational back that splits carries, and Leshoure would be the perfect complement to that.

Even with Best’s explosiveness last year, we were absolutely horrific in the run game. Consistency is key in the NFL, Leshoure can help bring that back.

Height: 6′ 0″

Weight: 230lbs

Unofficial 40 yard dash: 4.53

Scout’s take:

Strengths:
I love his size. Plays with great power. Displays great agility and acceleration. Plays with a great burst for a back his size. Has good decision-making; when he sees the hole there is little hesitation and he shows off impressive explosiveness to get through the line. Surprisingly elusive for a bigger back. He is able to make quick cuts and start and stop immediately. Does not shy away from contact. Soft hands, can catch the football. Does a great job of pass blocking. Has good ball security. Reports of his improved his work ethic and maturity have really been evident this season. He is a playmaker.

Weaknesses:
He needs to be more consistent in keeping his feet moving when engaged. Vision is another thing that often stands out a little bit when I watch Mikel; it isn’t his biggest weakness but this is something that I think could be improved. He does a good job of reading his blockers but he needs to look at the whole field when he is running. Sometimes it looks like he just reads the blockers right in front of him rather than see the whole field. He also often tries too hard for the home run play, rather than hit the hole for a 5 yard gain. Again, this is not the biggest concern for me, but he could improve in this area to become more consistent. He does not have elite speed for a running back (even though for his size it’s great). He is a little inconsistent at running low; he needs to get lower when getting through the line.

-NFL Draft Analyst Clint Clearwater

My take:

As Clint said in his report, Leshoure has amazing speed for his size. 4.53 isn’t the fastest back in the NFL, but it’s certainly fast enough to make big plays on the outside. Most impressive to me are his stats this year behind an okay offensive line. 281 carries for 1,697 yards (6 yards per carry), 17 touchdowns, and no fumbles. He’s got pretty good vision out of the backfield too, averaging 11.5 per catch for 3 touchdowns. Honestly, he reminds me a lot of a Rashard Mendenhall kind of back, just with a little more burst and quick feet. They’re fairly comparable stats-wise, and they had the same concern coming out of college– only one year carrying the bulk of the load. If anything, that means a fresh back to me– someone who isn’t coming into the NFL beat up and run down already.  I like Leshoure to become an every-down type of back that can break big plays, but also consistently gain yards.

Film Room:

Final Take:

Leshoure is flying up draft boards, and I’m not sure that he’s going to be the person we want to take at #13. With that being said, it would kill me to miss out on a talent like this by the second round– a spot I feel that we can really pick him up at. If Mayhew likes what he saw this year, he can make some moves (like he did last year), so I hope that’s what happens. We need an every-down back to finish off the skill-position part of the offense.

Posted in: Detroit, Lions, NFL Draft